It was Christina’s own difficult upbringing in the slums of Dublin that led her to devote her life to saving other children.

And although her story has now been turned into a movie, Christina’s real life is far from the glitz and glamour of the silver screen.

For the last 23 years she has worked tirelessly on the streets and helped more than 700,000 children to have happier lives.

And thanking the Irish Mirror, Christina said her parents would have been so proud to see her honoured on the stage of the Mansion House.

She said: “My mother and father would have been very proud that I’m receiving this award from the Irish people and in Dublin I don’t know what to say – I’m honoured.

“When you come from my kind of background it’s very special to be honoured like this because it makes you feel like you belong, I can’t help crying over it, I just can’t believe I have been given the Lifetime Achievement Award.”

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Christina is now 70 but as long as there are children who need her help, she won’t stop working.

She said: “Retirement will come when I drop.”

Christina saw the devastating effects of poverty for herself during a trip to Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam back in 1989. She was moved to help and as a result, established her organisation two years later.

Since then, her foundation has established over one hundred projects which provide life-saving health care and educational opportunities to thousands of children every year, helping them to escape a life of poverty.

This inspirational woman is a mother figure to the thousands of children she clothes, feeds and loves.

She truly believes all children are entitled to a safe and happy childhood and for the past 23 years, she’s made that her mission to help as many children as she can.

Speaking about what motivated her to devote her life to such a worthy cause, she said: “I think because of my own life I’ve had a very deep sense of justice and how important childhood is because I think if you don’t have the tools around you and the love around you, you don’t have the opportunities for going to school or to compete.

“If there’s nobody there to teach you all things you need to know when you grow up, you have nothing and if you end up with no home, you’re going nowhere it’s an endless journey of going up and down streets, up and down the canal, waiting for the light to come on.”

Lifetime achievement award Christina Nolan surprised guests with a song

Touching the hearts of many children Christina, takes a hands on approach when it comes to her global humanitarianism.